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Updated: May 18, 2026

Stretching Short Sequences of DNA with Constant Force Axial Optical Tweezers
Published on: October 13, 2011
Dynamical model for the full stretching curve of DNA
Alessandro Fiasconaro1, Fernando Falo
1Departamento de Física de la Materia Condensada, Universidad de Zaragoza, 50009 Zaragoza, Spain. afiascon@unizar.es
Abstract:
We present a phenomenological dynamical model able to describe the stretching features of the curve of DNA length vs applied force. As concerns the chain, the model is based on the discrete wormlike chain model with elastic modifications, which properly describes the elongation features at low and intermediate forces. The dynamics is developed under a double-well potential with a linear term, which, at high forces, accounts for the narrow transition present in the DNA elongation (overstretching). A quite good agreement between simulation and experiment is obtained.
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